Jason Palmer wins South of England Open Amateur

FROM THE IRISH TIMES WEBSITE
A disappointing final round at Walton Heath cost Dubliner Niall Kearney the chance of winning the South of England Open Amateur Championship today.
The 24-year-old Irish international was in contention throughout the event, having started today’s final 36-holes just one shot off the lead and two shots heading into the final round.
However this afternoon the Royal Dublin golfer struggled to get his putter going and mishit several shots before slumping to a three-over par 75, his worst round of the three days.
The plus-four handicapper finished with a 72-hole aggregate of four-under 284 for a share of sixth place, five shots behind new champion, Jason Palmer, who was the 2008 Midlands Amateur winner and former Italian Open champion.
Palmer had led on day one with a New Course record 63 but then fell back before finishing strongly. He finished one shot ahead of last year’s Carris Trophy winner, young Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale) with halfway leader Simon Crockett third.
Although disappointed at not winning Kearney will have done his chances of Walker Cup selection no harm.
Baltray’s Simon Ward finished joint 26th on 292 total with Portstewart’s Paul Cutler on 298.

++Apologies for not being able to give the final total of Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie), the only Scot to survive the halfway cut. We've been relying on the Walton Heath website for scores but it obviously "crashed" after the third round because no scores have gone up on it for the fourth and final round. New technology is great when it works ....